ashyoung's reviews
325 reviews

13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.

I loved Bunny so was keen to read more Mona Awad, but so far neither Rouge nor this one have grabbed me like Bunny did. I still need to try All's Well, hoping it isn't a DNF too.

This book just wasn't holding my attention enough, and I do think it may be because I'm craving lighter reads at the moment so should stick to those. May return to this eventually. 

Ghostly by Kate Serzenta

emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was just delightful. Such a great blend of romance and paranormal aspects. I adored Ida so deeply, and appreciated Gabriel's character arc. This book also features a cast of fun side characters, like those you find in movies like Falling Inn Love and A Castle for Christmas. I found them endearing, and their relationship with our two main characters created some great moments in the story. 

The pull of the mysterious contract was a great plot thread throughout, and the twist at the end took me by surprise, which is always refreshing. The prose was lovely and effortlessly readable. 

I really enjoyed this book, and if you're after a romance with some paranormal mystery in it, set in a small town with found family vibes, then this book is for you. 

The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

3.0

80s Ghosts by V.S. Lawrence

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

This was a lot of fun. If you like Darcy Coates' books, I think you'd enjoy this book. I enjoyed the ghostly mystery and the paranormal investigation aspect. But I did feel like some of the characters were just a bit two dimensional and their emotional switch ups (specifically Rodney) were a bit too extreme and on the nose. I did guess the twists, but I also enjoy figuring out twists before they happen so it didn't really bother me. 

Overall, this was a fun ghost story, so if that's what you're after this is for you. It'll hit the beats you want a ghost story to hit. For me, the characterisation could have had more depth, and that would have increased my rating, but this was a good time nevertheless. 

The Last Passenger by Will Dean
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.

I had hopes this would give the kind of ship on the open ocean horror/thriller vibes I crave, but it didn't. Two hours in and hardly anything had happened yet. I also didn't find any of the characters particularly compelling. I liked the narrator though, which is something. 

Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

5.0

Sorcery of Thorns is one of my favourite books of all time - it just brings me immense joy - and this follow up novella is just as delightful. I love the characters, I love the world, I love the magic. It is just such a fantastic time.

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen Fry

4.0

This is Where We Talk Things Out by Caitlin Marceau

fast-paced

3.5

I feel like this could have been longer. The author built up the suspense well but I feel like it could have used a longer build up to really hit with some impact at the climax. The ending kind of fell flat for me, to be honest. 

I loved the premise, I loved picking up the little easter eggs along the way, but it honestly just didn't feel super satisfying for me because it felt a little too rushed. Probably just my tastes in horror/suspenseful novels. I really enjoy the build of tension, and in a novella you can't really build the tension for too long or you run out of space. 

Not mad about it, happy I read it, but I just personally didn't find it as gripping as I'd hoped it would be.

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

adventurous funny lighthearted

3.5

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.

I have heard so many raving reviews about this, but it is a long book, like a 10 hour time investment, and the first chapter just did not grab me. We met both main characters and it just dragged for me. There was too much exposition to start. 

I am a disciple of start in some action to grab attention, then build the world out from there, but these first 22 pages were just 100% exposition and nothing really happened. It started with one boy telling another boy everything about how the world worked, but nothing had happened yet to make me curious about the world enough to be drawn into the exposition. 

I continued into the second chapter and just found myself struggling to care. The world seems really intriguing, and I can absolutely see why people love it, but it is just not for me. Mostly because I am being cut-throat now, if a book isn't grabbing me I am not continuing because I will never have enough time in my life to read all the books I want, so I can't spend my time on books that I am having to force myself to push through. 

I may revisit this in the future though, because it may just be that I am not in the correct mood for a book like this rn.